There has been quite a storm in the conservative blogosphere over my look-ahead post on the Roe v. Wade anniversary rallies from Friday morning. The bloggers seem to think that I intentionally, or ignorantly, conflated pro-choice young feminists, who I predicted would come out in smaller numbers than their older counterparts, with young pro-life activists. In fact, my intention, which I acknowledge should have been articulated more clearly, was to note that left-leaning young women who have grown up since Roe v. Wade tend to be less viscerally motivated by the need to preserve Roe. Pro-life young women, on the other hand, have grown up objecting to the status quo on abortion law, and are more likely to be politically active on the subject, as my quote from Olivia Gans demonstrates.

Foreign businesses might be the real winners in Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission, the landmark case that allows corporations and unions to spend limitless amounts of money on presidential and congressional political campaigns. A majority of large businesses are now owned by foreign entities, and this means international corporations could pour tons of money into the United States political scene, potentially swaying the political climate. ...

Today is the 37th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court case legalizing abortion, and droves of women are prepared to face rainy weather to support their positions during the annual Washington, D.C., demonstrations. But there will be one major difference with the demonstration route this year—it’s shorter. ...

Let's be honest, there are some people who are more enthusiastic about the Super Bowl commercials than the outcome of the game. Who can forget the Budweiser commercial with the three adorable frogs sitting on a log croaking "buuud," "wiiise," and "errr"? Often times the commercials are more memorable than the final score. So you might be surprised to learn that a pending U.S. Supreme Court case could change the course of advertising—opening the door to a plethora of political ads. Imagine saying goodbye to the hilarious Doritos ads and witty M&M's commercials, and hello to congressional and presidential campaign spots....

Thirty-nine years ago today, the White House played host to a most unusual meeting. Hip-thrusting idol Elvis Presley walked up to the northwest gate of the mansion with a six-page letter to the president scribbled on American Airlines stationary. His reason for being there was simple: to seek an audience with President Nixon to help in the government's battle against teenage drug abuse.The word that Presley had been at the gate eventually made it to Nixon, who invited Presley into the White House seeing an opportunity for the musician to do a civic duty and be the “voice of reason” for teenagers considering drug use. But the meeting gave some senior staff pause, wary of how it would look to invite a celebrity into the West Wing. On the memo approving the meeting, Bob Haldeman, Nixon’s chief of staff, wrote in the margin “you must be kidding.” Haldeman had qualms with a portion of the memo that stated, “the President wants to meet with some bright young people outside of the Go...

This time every year, sports bars across the country are filled with beer-guzzling patrons debating one issue: should the college-football Bowl Championship Series (BCS) be decided through a series of playoff games, or should the matchups continue to be chosen by BCS officials and polls? Bar debates are one thing, but the issue is now becoming one of national importance, making its way to an unusual place that doesn’t feature flat-screen TVs or draft beer on tap: Capitol Hill. Today, the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee agreed to consider whether it’s fair for the BCS to tout a national championship game when not all college-football teams have an equal opportunity to compete....

For the past 15 years, U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens has voiced his concern about capital punishment. Late Tuesday night, his disapproval grew even louder when he wrote a passionate opinion that sparked controversy with a fellow justice. Could this be a signal that the 89-year-old justice may want to make serious changes to the death penalty before he leaves the bench?...

Earlier this week the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force shocked legions of women when it recommended waiting until 50 for a first mammogram, despite previous recommendations that women begin mammograms at 40. Then today, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists released new guidelines for Pap smears. Previously, all sexually active women were encouraged to get the test—which examines cells in the cervix to determine whether there are any abnormalities that could lead to cancer—every year. Now, the recommendations state that women begin the Pap test at 21, retest every other year, and then, once women hit their 30s, schedule a test every three years. ...

The Washington Redskins will get to keep their name—for now. For almost two decades a group of Native Americans has been challenging what they allege to be an offensive team name and logo. On Monday, though, the battle finally ran out of steam after the Supreme Court declined to review the case. Still, football fans shouldn’t take out their jerseys and headdresses to celebrate quite yet. The litigation surrounding the Redskins is set to keep going. ...

Will listening to hours of Britney Spears, Nine Inch Nails, or even the Meow Mix jingle make you lose your mind? That’s exactly what military officials were hoping for when they blasted hours of loud music to prisoners detained at Guantánamo Bay and in Iraq and Afghanistan prisons. The National Security Archive, an independent research institute that works to publish declassified information, submitted a Freedom of Information Act request on October 22 to a variety of government agencies including the Department of the Army, U.S. Central Command, Defense Intelligence Agency and the CIA, seeking all intelligence reports, briefings and recordings of loud music used during the detention and interrogation of detainees....